Five youths hurt in church van crash

LEBANON, Maine — Police reported five juveniles were taken to the hospital following a two-vehicle crash involving a church van with a dozen juvenile occupants early Saturday morning.

The Lebanon Rescue Department, Maine State Police and Lebanon Fire Department were dispatched to the area of Carl Broggi Highway near the intersection of Little River Road and Depot Road at approximately 9:30 a.m.

According to a press release, a Ford Econoline van had been traveling east on Carl Broggi Highway, operated by a 29-year-old woman from Hampstead, N.H. The operator reportedly slowed for the traffic light at Depot Road and an eastbound 2003 Toyota Corolla driving behind the van, operated by a 23-year-old woman from Shapleigh, Maine, attempted to stop as well. The Toyota then slid and hit the rear of the van, according to reports, which caused extensive damage to its front.

Assistant Lebanon Rescue Chief Jason Cole noted in a press release his emergency response vehicle was almost struck by two other vehicles on the road due to icy conditions while responding to the scene.

Cole added officials were on scene a few minutes after the accident occurred. There, they determined the van had 12 occupants inside and was transporting children to a church in Sanford, Maine, from Derry.

Mutual aid ambulances from Sanford and North Berwick were called to assist Lebanon ambulances in transporting patients to the hospital.

The five patients, all from the church van, were transported to Goodall Hospital in Sanford, Maine, with non-life threatening injuries. The individuals have been identified as children ranging in age from 12 to 16, and are all residents from Derry, Hudson and Salem.

The operator of the Toyota Corolla was not injured and her vehicle was towed from the scene.

The accident remains under investigation by Maine State Police.

“We would like to remind motorists when they see an accident scene ahead to start slowing down gently ahead of the accident instead of waiting until they are at the scene and applying their brakes,” Cole said. “We had a couple close calls with cars sliding at the accident scene and almost hitting emergency responders working on injured patients.”